Locomotive stoker



April 21, 1931. N. M. LOWER ET AL 1,801,777

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Sept. 10, 1927 3 SheetsSheet l April 21, 1931. I N. M. LOWER ET AL 1,801,777

- LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Sept. 10, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 21, 1931. N. M. LOWER ET AL LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Filed Sept. 10, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 21, 1931 "UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN .M. LOWER, ANTON K. KUSEBAUOI-I, AND ALBERT OHALKER, OF PITTS- BURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNQRS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO TI-IE STANDARD STOKER COMPANY INCL, OF NEVI YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE LOCOMOTIVE STOKER Application filed September 10, 1927. Serial No. 218,797.

The invention relates to stokers adapted to transfer fuel from the tender of a locomotive and deliver it into the fire-box. It is herein shown as'applied to a stoker of the type disclosed in the patent toElvimFahnestock and Clark, No. 1,267,644, though as to many of its features it is applicable tovstokers of other forms.

The objects of the invention are to provide improved means for driving the mechanism for transferring thefuel from the tender to the stoking mechanism, by means of which it is discharged 'into the fire-box, and for controlling the speed of the transferring mechanism independently of the fuel dee livering mechanism.

Further objects are the provision of hy draulic drive for the transferring mechanism; to improve means for lubricating the moving parts of the stoker and for cooling the liquid employed in the hydraulic driving means; and for so organizing the stoker as to simplify its assembling and repair.

The described embodiment of the inven tion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: T

Fig. 1 is a detail, longitudinal, vertical,

' central section of a locomotive and its tender,

the stoking mechanism being shown in side elevation and partly in section; I

Fig. 2 is a detail rear elevation of the locomotive, partly in section, the unit of the stoker mechanism carried by the locomotive being shown in elevation Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of the hydraulic drivingv mechanism, on an, enlarged scale, and taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; V

Fig. 4 is an isometricview of one of the rotors of the hydraulic driving mechanism;

Fig. 5 is an isometric view of one of the blades associated with such rotor;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the blade controlling rings; v

F ig; 7 is an isometric view of the casing of the pump element of the hydraulic driving mechanism;

Fig. 8 is an end view of the pump element of fthe hydraulic mechanism, showing its on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing the parts desirable to vary the rate of delivery of the,

fuel to the fire-box by varying the rate at which the fuel is transferred, without chang ing the action of the means employed for discharging the fuel into the fire-box in order that Whatever may be the rate of delivery into the fire-box, the fuel shall be uniformly scattered over the entire grate area.

7 It is also desirable that the discharging or scattering means may be regulated with-.

out changingthe rate of delivery to the firebox, in order that the fire may be trimmed by varying the force employed in discharging the fuel into the fire-box.

These operations and other advantages are secured in the present invention.

The backhead of a locomotive is shown at 15, and as being provided with the usual hand-firing door opening 16. A portion of the grate'of the fire-box is represented at 17. At 18 there is shown a portion of the floor of a locomotive tender.

At 19 is shown the forward end of a fuel transfer conduit, which is located under the floor of the tender, and, as usual, is connected by means of a ball and socket joint 20 with the unit of the stoking mechanism which is mounted upon the locomotive. Within the conduit 19 is housed a transferring screw 21 driven by means of a shaft 22leading back to its rear end, and connected up withthe screw shaft by suitable gearing, as is common practice.

The unit of the stoker which is carried by the locomotive comprises a casing 23' for enclosing the mechanism for elevating fuel 7 brought forward by the screw 21, and driv- 1 ing the fuel delivering mechanism, which, in the present instance, consists of oscilating vanes or shovels 2%, (only one of the pair being shown), which are housed within a be); mounted upon the casing nd open to the firing opening 16, plate 26 continuing the floor of the box through this opening.

Fuel is carried up into the box 25 by means of a plunger elevator 2'7, and this elevator and the fuel projecting vanes or shovels 24 are operated by a system of gears, cams and cranks of the character shown in the patent above referred to. As no claim is made on the details of this actuating mechanism, a description of it is not necessary.

Power for actuating such mechanism, as well as the screw 21, is derived from a steam engine 28 of the multi-cylinder reversible type. This engine is carried by the casing 23 to which it is securely bolted, as shown at 29. The shaft 3 of the engine projects through the wall of the casing, and is connected by means of a coupling 31 witn a shaft 32 carrying a worm meshing with a worm-wheel 3a, which is an element in the actuating system of the elevator and projecting vanes.

The shaft 32 is journalled in a pair of pedestals 35, 35 rising from the floor of the casing 23, ball bearings for the shaft being mounted within these pedestals. Sleeves 36, 37 and 38, mounted on the shat 32 and interposed between the coupling 31 and the adjacent pedestal 35, and between the worm 33 and the two pedestals, prevent longitudinal movement of the shaft and transmit the thrust stresses to the pedestals.

The shaft 22 for driving the screw 21 is connected by means of a universal joint 39 with a shaft l0 journalled in the walls of a casing s1 bolted to the side wall of the casing 23 opposite that to which the engine 28 is attached.

The shaft 40 carries a worm-wheel l2 meshing with a worm a3 carried by the shaft ll; journalled in the wall of the casing and in the outer wall of the casing ll, this shaft being extended beyond the wall of the latter casing and carrying the rotor of the lriving elementof a hydraulic gear.

The hydraulic gear is enclosed within a casing 4-5 secured to the outer wall of the casing 41, and is shown in detail in Figs. 3 to 10 and 1:. The rotors of this gear, generally designated by the numerals d6, 4:7, are shown as alike in construction, each comprising a cylindrical element L8 mounted concentrically on the shafts as and 60, to which they are keyed, these cylinders being radially slotted, as shown at l9, to receive the vanes 50, which have a radial movement. The cylinders 4:8 are recessed at their ends, as shown at 51, to receive rings 52 which encircle the shafts 4A, 46, and are of less diameter than the recesses, and bear upon the inner margins of the vanes 50.

The rotor 4C6, being the power transmittin element of the gear, is housed within a cyl1ndrical casing 53 formed integrally with the casing and joining its side walls, this casing being eccentric to the shaft ell. The rotor 47, which constitutes the pump element of the gear, is housed within a movable casing 54, cylindrical in form, and of greater diameter than the rotor, its ends abutting against, and having a tight but sliding fit with the side walls of the casing to.

The casing 5 L is provided with a pair of radial, oppositely disposed lugs 55, '56, which fit respectively within pockets 57, 58, formed, the one in a transverse partition 59 of the casing 45, and the other in an end wall. of this casin The rings 52, associated with the rotor 47, float radially.

The cylinder casing of the pump element of the gear is movable longitudinally of the casing by means of a hand wheel (31 mounted on a shaft 62, which projects upwardly through the floor or deck 63 of the locomotive cab 63, the lower end of the shaft 62 being journalled in a wall 64; of an extension of the casing 45, and carries a bevel gear 65 meshing with gear teeth on a nut 66 in threaded engagement with a stem 67 projecting from and fixed in the lug 56. An extension of the shaft 62 and the stem 67 may fit within secketed bosses G8, 09 formed on the inner face of a plate 70 bolted to the outer end of the extension of the casing 45 within which the gear 65 and nut 66 are housed. The casings 53, 54 are ported on opposite sides, as shown at 71, 7 2, to provide for the admission and discharge of the driving fluid, which fills the casing d5.

The shaft 460 of the pump element of the hydraulic gear is coupled, as shown at T3, to the end of the shaft 82.

The pump element is adjustable for the purpose of varying the power delivered to the shaft 22, and thereby correspondingly varying the speed of the screw 2i and the rate at which the fuel is transferred from the tender to the locomotive. Vfith the parts in position, as illust'ated in Fig. 3, the hydraulic drive is at its maximum power, the fluid being circulated in the direction of the arrows. 5y advancing the casing 5st from this position its eccentricity, with reference to the rotor, is decreased, with the result that all of the liquid will not be discharged through the eduction ports, some of it being permitted to pass to the opposite side of the casin Should the casing 5 f be advanced to the position shown in Fig. 9, it becomes concentric with the rotor, and consequently there will be no expulsion of the fluid through the eduction ports, and the rotor 46 will not be actuated, and the screw 21 will come to rest.

A still further advance of the casing 54 will result in a reverse drive, and the power delivered will reach the maximum when the casing shall have been shifted to the limit of its inward movement to the position shown in Fig. 10. The vanes 50 of the pump element are at all times in contact with both the rings 52 and the inner face of the casing 5a, and their radial movement is therefore caused by the conjoint action upon them of the rings and the casing.

The liquid used in the hydraulic drive is a lubricant, and is utilized as such in connection not only with the bearings of the rotors, but also in connection with all.

of the other gearing of the apparatus. To this end the bearings of the rotor shafts in the wall of the casing 41 are adapted to permit some escape of liquid. The chamber of the casing 41 is horizontally subdivided,

, and both compartments thereof are open to the chamber of the casing 23. Lubricant, therefore, escapes into the latter casing from both of these compartments, and is taken up by, and applied to the bearings of the gearing associated with the elevator and fuel throwing vanes. In order that the easing 45 shall be, at all times, fully supplied with liquid, a pipe 74: leads from the bottom of the casing 23 to a storage chamber 75 located at the upper side of the casing '45, and connected therewith by a downwardly opening check valve 76. I The suction action of the pump element of the hydraulic drive will open this valve sufficiently to replenish the casing 45. A branch 77 from the pipe 74 is connected with the chamber of the casing d5 on the normal power side, and is provided with a check valve 7 8 opening toward the casing.

Upon the reversal of the direction of movement within the casing 45, as indicatedby the arrows in Fig. 10, the replenishing of the liquid within the casing is provided for by this branch pipe.

Simplicity of manufacture and ease of assembly are conserved by forming the casing d5 as a shell, open at both sides, one of these openings being closed by the wall of the casing 28, and the other by a plate 79.

The shafts 44L, 460 project through the plate 7 9 into boxes 80, 81, the side walls of which are shown as cast integrally with the plate 79, and their outer walls being removable plates 82, 83 which carry ball bearings for the shafts.

In the operation of a hydraulic gear the liquid becomes heated, and the described arrangement for its circulation through the casin 23 has the additional advantage of providing for its cooling automatically.

' tures.

The speed at which the elevator and scattering vanes are operated is dependent directly upon the speed of the motor 28. Should it befound desirable to operate the vanes at a speed higher or lower than normal in order'to increase the amount of fuel delivered to the forward or rearward end of the firebox the speed of the motor 28 is changed accordinglyby means of its controlling valve. made the rate of transfer of fuel may be maintained uniform, if desired, by an adjustment of the hydraulic gear, as hereinbefore explained.

An embodiment of the invention has been described in which are secured the several objects in view, via, compactness, simplicity of construction and assembly, ready and independent access to the various sections of the operating mechanism for repairs and replacements, easy and independent regulation of transferring and fuel delivery components of the stolrer, and efficiency. of operation. The invention is, however, of broader scope than the specific embodiment which has been disclosed.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a stolrer for furnaces, in combination, fuel transferring means, fuel delivering means, a driving motor, independent sets of gearing connecting the motor with the transferring means and with the delivering means, one set of such gearing being hydraulic, means for delivering liquid as a lubricant from the hydraulic gear to the other set of gearing, and means for returning such liquid to the casing of the hydraulic gear.

2. In a locomotive Stoker, in combination, means for transferring the fuel, gearing for actuating such means, a casing enclosing the gearing, a prime mover, a hydraulic gear for connecting the prime mover with the first named gearing and comprisin a casing arranged to permit the escape of liquid therefrom into the first named casing and return pipes leading from the first named casing to both sides of the power unit of the hy draulic gear, and an automatic valve in each pipe openable toward the hydraulic gear.

In testimony whereof'we ailiX our signa- When such changes are" 

